Tarnos - La Digue Surf Forecast and Surf Report

Alright folks, Rusty here. Let’s have a look at what’s shaking for the next couple of weeks.

To be straight with you, the first few days are a bit of a write-off. We’ve got some swell, but the wind is mostly cross-on or onshore, and the waves are pretty messy. Monday the 27th kicks off with a 4ft north-west swell pushin’ in, but it’s got that cross-on wind from the NNW and the period is only 8 seconds – lots of chop, not much fun. The combined energy is moderate (352), but the conditions just aren’t there. That afternoon, the swell bumps up a bit to 5ft, but the wind gets stronger (15 km/h) and it’s choppy as hell. Not worth paddling out.

Tuesday the 28th morning is the first real glimmer of hope. The swell drops to 4ft from the NW, but the period stretches to 10 seconds, and most importantly, we’ve got an offshore wind from the east at just 5 km/h. That’s clean. The combined energy is still moderate (362) but the wave quality is what matters. This is the best session of the first week. Tarnos - La Digue is a beach/jetty setup, so with that long-period groundswell, it’ll be a bit more lined up, but it can still be fun. The water temp is a wild 77°, which is much warmer than normal for this time of year – over 5° above average, very unusual. You won’t need a thick suit.

After that, it goes quiet and poor. From Wednesday the 29th morning all the way through to Saturday the 8th of August, it’s a painful stretch of tiny, weak, or onshore wind-affected surf. Swell heights mostly under 3ft, periods dropping to 6-8 seconds, and combined energy values down in the double digits or low triple digits. Not a single session worth chasing. The 7th of August Friday afternoon shows a 13-second period from the NW, but the swell is only 1ft – a tease.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting. Hold on for the 9th of August Sunday morning. The forecast shows a 5ft north-west swell with a 10-second period, and the wind is dead calm – glassy. Zero wind. The combined energy is strong (412). That’s the standout of the whole forecast. The swell direction is NW, which matches the optimum for the break. For a beach/jetty spot, glassy conditions are pure gold. It’s still a fairly consistent break, so you won’t be waiting forever for a set. Crowds are sometimes an issue here, so on a Sunday morning like that, expect some company. This is the one to circle.

The 10th of August Monday morning gets a bit bigger, 6ft, but the wind is onshore from the west at 10 km/h, and the period is 9 seconds. It’s not terrible, but it’s not the magic of Sunday. The energy is strong (500) but the onshore wind will put a chop on it. After that, it fades back into mediocrity with onshore or cross-onshore winds and smaller swells.

So, to sum it up: the first week is mostly a dud, with a brief window of clean surf on Tuesday the 28th morning. Then a long, flat, poor spell until the real prize on Sunday the 9th of August morning. That’s your best bet – glassy, decent-sized groundswell, and clean. Be there.

Rusty.

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